Clam-shell bucket.



PATENTBD MAY 16, 1905.,

B. w. BROOKETT.-

OLAM SHELL BUCKET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14,1904.

ZBHEETS-SHEET 1.

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L in e J'Jw PATENTED MAY 16, 1905.

B. W. BROGKBTT,

GLAM SHELL BUCKET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNTTEE STATES Patented May 16, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

BLUFORD TV. BROOKETT, OF OLEVELAND,OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN MOMYLER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CLAM-SHELL BUCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,712, dated May 16, 1905.

Application filed July 14, 1904. Serial No. 216,480.

To It whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, BLUFORD \V. BROOKETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Clam-Shell Buckets, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to clam-shell buckets, and has for its object the arrangement of the scoops and the operating mechanism therefor in a manner such that when closed the bucket will be substantially locked against any accidental opening and when opened will be spread to its fullest extent.

It also contemplates the arrangement of the operating mechanism, whereby a great amount of head-room is obtained and at the same time not sacrifice the strength and efficiency of the several parts for accomplishing this result.

\More specifically, the invention consists in the pivoting of the scoops at substantially their central points with respect to their length to operating members, so that these pivots will take approximately the entire load of each scoop, and in arranging links connected with said members and with the front ends of the scoops to draw across the center of the bucket and lock them tightly together.

The operating mechanism for the scoops consists of operating lever-arms so arranged and positioned that a great amount of leverage is given to the operating member thereof and that this leverage shall greatly exceed that of any of the other members of said arm and to also have all of said members apply their faces in the same direction to bring about the object above set out.

The invention further includes the use of sheave-segments for the purpose of opening the bucket and in arranging them to quickly and completely swing the scoops open to their fullest extent.

The invention may be here summarized as consisting in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth in the following description, drawings, and claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a bucket in a closed position constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken upon the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a detailed view of one of the operating lever-arms.

Any preferable form of framework construction may be employed in my invention; but I prefer to use a pair of side plates A of substantially the form shown and provided with openings near their lower edges to receive the shafts B B, also with openings near the upper edges for receiving the drum-shafts O O. Riveted to these plates are suitable straps a, which are connected to another pair of plates A A which have suitableopenings which take around the shafts B B, but are open throughout their central portion, so that they will permit the passage of the several parts therethrough without any interruption. These plates A and A form substantially the mounting for the head-block construction and in their upper ends are provided with a pair of shafts a and a arranged to carry, respectively, the sheaves a, a a", and a for the purpose of guiding the operating-ropes, as will more fully hereinafter be set forth.

Within the plates A and A and near the ends of the shafts B and B are loosely mounted the operating lever-arms D, D, D and D", one pair for each shaft. Each of these lever-arms, as shown in Fig. 4, has an operating member (Z, provided with a sheave portion d a link member (Z, and a scoop member d but the operating members of the two arms D and D are extended out beyond the plane of the other portions thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, for the purpose of being out of line with the corresponding operating mem bers of the other two operating lever-arms when they are applied in proper position.

Pivoted to the members 0Z by means of the shafts e a are the scoops E and E, and, as shown, this pivot is substantially at the central point with respect to the length of each scoop, the object being to substantially balance the load in them, and thereby obviate any tendency for them to dump. Pivoted to the link members cl of the operating leverarms D and D are a pair of links F, in turn pivoted at their opposite ends to the sides of the opposite scoop E, near the front end thereof. A pair of links F, connected with the link members cl of the operating leverarms D and D are connected in like manner to the scoop E.

Upon the shafts B and B are also loosely mounted a pair of opening sheave-segments G and G of substantially the form shown and having depending scoop members 9 0, as shown in Fig. 3, which extend down and loosely engage the shafts e and 6'. Thus it will be seen that when a force is applied to the periphery of these segments they will rock upon the shafts B and B, and their scoop members 9 will throw the two scoops apart and in that way dump the bucket.

Loosely mounted upon the shafts C and C are operating drum-wheels C and C one for each shaft, as shown, having rigid therewith and extending out in either direction therefrom sleeve portions 0 and 0 which carry winding-drums 0 0. The drums c and 0 of each drum-wheel are placed on their respective sleeve in the same relative position; but when the two drum-wheels are placed in position in the frame, as shown in Fig. 1, the drum 0 of one is out of line with the drum 0 of the other, thus throwing the drum 0 of one drum-wheel in alinement with the oper ating member of the lever-arm D and the other drum, 0, of the opposite drum-wheel in alinement with the operating lever-arms D. Chains 0" pass from these drums around the sheave portions dof the operating members of the operating lever-arms, as shown in Fig. 3, and are connected to the lower ends thereof in a well-known manner. The chains from the pair of operating lever-arms of the scoop pass to the drums on the opposite side of the bucket, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3. Ropes H and H are wound in several turns upon these drum-wheels C C and extend up into the grooves of their corresponding sheaves a and a Ropes K and K extend from the sheave-segments (Sr and G up into the grooves of the sheaves a and a.

The bucket in its open position, as shown in Fig. 3, is lowered into the material, and the closing-ropes H H are drawn so as to rotate the drum-wheels and C The rotation of these wheels necessarily rotates their sleeve portions 0 and 0 thus winding all of the chains 0 upon their respective drums. The hauling in of these chains rocks the operating members cl upon the shafts B and B, thus turning the scoop members d about said shafts and forcing the scoops down into the material. At the same time the links F and F are pulling the forward ends of the scoops toward the center. This action continues until the link members d of the operating lever-arms are in substantially a vertical position and the scoops are substantially in a horizontal position, but are a considerable distance apart. The continued rocking of the operating lever-arm, however, tends to draw the forward ends of the two scoops together without materially raising them, while the scoop members d cooperate to push them in the same direction. Thus the scoops shear through the'material and come closely together at their forward ends when they are tightly locked in a closed position. This locking feature is of great importance and is complete in this construction for the reason that the links are pulling across the center of the bucket and in a slightly upward direction, while the scoop members d are substantially supporting the load and are pushing in the same direction. Therefore there is no tendency whatever for the bucket to open and spill its load.

The opening operation is brought about by slacking up on the closing-ropes and drawing in on the opening-ropes, which are connected to the sheave-segments G and G. The rocking of these segments upon their shafts shifts their scoop members in an outward direction from the center, and this necessarily through the arrangement of parts just described rocks the operating-arms and opens the bucket into the position shown in Fig. 3.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination with a pair of scoops, of operating mechanism connected with substantially the center of each scoop, means connecting the operating mechanism of one scoop with approximately the end of the opposite scoop, whereby when the operating mechanisms of the two scoops tend to force them together said means will tend to exert its force in the same direction, and means for operating said operating mechanisms.

2. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination with a pair of scoops, of operating mechanism connected with substantially the center of each scoop, and means connecting the operating mechanism of one scoop with approximately the forward end of the opposite scoop whereby when the operating mechanisms of the two scoops tend to force them together said means will tend to draw their forward ends in the same direction, and means for operating said operating mechanisms.

3. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination with a pair of scoops, of lever-arms suitably pivoted and having members pivoted to substantially the central point of each scoop whereby the load of each is substantially balanced at said point, means connecting the operating-arm of one scoop with approximately the forward end of the opposite scoop, means for operating said arms, and meansfor opening said bucket.

4. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination with a pair of scoops, of operating mechanisms pivoted at a point in each scoop which will substantially balance the same, means connecting the operating mechanism of one scoop with approximately the forward end of the other scoop, means for rocking said operating mechanism, and means for opening said bucket.

5. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination with a pair of scoops, of operating-levers independently pivoted and having scoop members which are connected to the scoop at a point which will substantially balance the same, links connecting the operating-arm of one scoop with approximately the forward end of the opposite scoop, and means for rocking said arms.

6. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination with a pair of scoops, of lever-arms independentl y pivoted, members connected with substantially the center of each of said scoops, links pivoted to the front ends of said scoops, link-arms carried by said operating-arms, the link-arms of one scoop being connected with the links of the opposite scoop, means for rocking said operating-arms, and means for opening said bucket.

7. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination with a pair of scoops, of lever-arms pivoted independently and having scoop members which are connected to substantially the central point of each scoop, link-arms rigid with said operating-arms, links connecting the linkarms of the operating-arms of one scoop with approximately the forward end of the opposite scoop, means for rocking said operatingarms, and means for opening said bucket.

8. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination with a pair of scoops, of lever-arms suitably pivoted and having short scoop members extending downward therefrom and pivoted to substantially the central point of the corresponding scoop, link members carried by said lever-arms and extending outward from the central line of said bucket and having links passing to approximately the front end of the opposite scoop, means for rocking said levers, and means for opening said bucket.

9. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination with a pair of scoops, of a frame, operatinglevers independently pivoted to said frame and having short scoop members which extend slightly toward the longitudinal center of the bucket when closed and are connected at substantially the center of the corresponding scoop, link members carried by said levers and extending outwardly in a diagonal direction, links pivoted to said members and connected to the opposite scoop, means for rocking said lever, and means for opening said bucket.

10. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination with a pair of scoops, of a frame, shafts mounted in said frame, operating levers loosely mounted upon said shafts and having short scoop members pivoted at substantially the central point of the corresponding scoop, link members rigid with said levers, links connected to said members and with the front end of the corresponding scoop, and means for rocking said lever-arms, and means for opening said bucket.

11. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination with a pair of scoops, of a frame, shafts mounted in said frame, operating levers loosely mounted upon said shafts and having short scoop members pivoted to the corresponding scoop at substantially the central point thereof, link members rigid with said levers, links connected With said members and the front end of the opposite scoop, opening members loosely pivoted upon said shaft and having short members which extend down and engage the pivots of said scoops, means for rocking said. lever-arms, and means for rocking the opening members.

12. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination with a pair of scoops, of a frame, a pair of shafts mounted on said frame, a pair of operating-levers loosely mounted on each of said shafts, a scoop member provided upon each of said operating-levers the members of each pair of levers being secured to the corresponding scoop at substantially its central point, link-arms rigid with said levers, links pivoted to said arms at one end and pivoted at the opposite end to the opposite scoop, an opening member loosely mounted upon each of said shafts and having a portion thereof engaging the pivot of the corresponding scoop to rotate the pivot thereof around the shaft, means for rocking said levers, and means for rocking said opening members.

13. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination with a pair of scoops, of a frame, a pair of shafts mounted in said frame, a pair of operating-levers loosely mounted upon each of said shafts, a shaft carried by each scoop substantially at the central point, a scoop member rigid with each of said levers and engaging the shaft of the corresponding scoop, a sheave-segment loosely mounted upon each of said shafts, and having a scoop member extending down and engaging the shaft carried by the corresponding scoop, means for operating said levers, and means for operating said sheave-segments.

14:. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination with a pair of scoops, of a frame, operatinglevers loosely pivoted to said frame, and having scoop members which extend down and are pivoted at substantially the central point of the corresponding scoop, a pair of drums for manipulating the operating-levers of one scoop, another pair of drums for operating the operating-levers of the opposite scoop, independent means for rotating both of said drums in unison, and means for opening said bucket.

' 15. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination with a pair of scoops, of a frame, shafts mounted in said frame, operatinglevers loosely mounted upon said shafts and having their scoop members pivoted to the corresponding scoop, link members rigid with said levers, links connecting said members and the front end of the opposite scoop, a pair of drumshafts mounted in said frame, a pair of drumwheels provided with drums and loosely mounted upon said shafts, flexible connections between said drums and the operating-arms, ropes upon said drum-wheels, and means for opening said bucket.

16. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination with a pair of scoops, of a frame, shafts mounted in said frame, operatinglevers loosely mounted upon said shafts and having scoop members pivoted to the corresponding scoop at substantially the central point thereof, link members rigid with said levers, links connected with said members and the front end of the opposite scoop, a pair of drum-shafts mounted in said frame, a pair of drum-wheels provided with drums and loosely mounted upon said shafts, flexible connections between said drums and the operatingarms, closingropes upon said drum-wheels, a sheave-segment loose upon each of said first-mentioned shafts, and having a scoop member extending down and connected with the pivotal point of the corresponding scoop, ropes for operating said sheave-segments, and means for guiding the ropes therefrom.

17. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination with a pair of scoops, of a shaft carried at sub stantially the central point of each scoop, a

frame, supporting shafts mounted in said frame, operating-levers loosely mounted upon said supporting-shafts, and having scoop members, pivoted to the shaft of the corresponding scoop, link members rigid with said levers, links connected with these members and with the front end of the opposite scoop, a pair of drum-shafts mounted in said frame, a pair of drum-wheels provided with drums and loosely 'mounted upon said shafts, flexible connections BLUFORD W. BROCKETT.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. BATES, J. M. WELLEs. 

